The much-anticipated launch of the New Horizon spacecraft on its journey to Pluto is expected to go smoothly, thanks in part to the work of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Continuing its ongoing work with NASA, ORNL is responsible for the design and production of the iridium cladding for the nuclear battery contained within the craft.

Something of an expert when it comes to developing the cladding, it has built up a working relationship with Nasa and was also involved with the Galileo spacecraft.

Jim King of ORNL's metals and ceramics division welcomed the chance to be part of such an important project and said that quality was key to producing the cladding.

"We've been involved with developing radium alloys for cladding for over 30 years now," Mr King told Oakridger.com.

"These are very well-characterised materials; we make them as precisely as they can be made. They're inspected and everything is documented - quality control is high since it's for nuclear application."

The launch date of the New Horizon was rescheduled due to high winds and a subsequent power outage but Mr King said that the whole team was "hoping for a successful launch".


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